Russian FPV drones attacked firefighters whilst they were extinguishing forest fire in Kherson region: blaze spread across 27 hectares. PHOTO
In the Kherson region, Russian FPV drones attacked firefighters who were attempting to extinguish a forest fire caused by debris from a downed enemy drone. Due to the danger to personnel, operations had to be suspended, and during this time the flames spread to 27 hectares of pine forest.
This was reported by the state-owned enterprise ‘Forests of Ukraine’, according to Censor.NET.
They were unable to reach the source of the fire due to landmines
The fire broke out this week within the Kherson Regional Forestry Administration’s territory. The forest floor caught fire after debris from a Russian UAV fell.
Forest rangers arrived at the scene and began extinguishing the fire, but it was impossible to work directly near the source of the blaze. The area remains dangerous due to landmines, so fire engines were unable to get close to the fire.
The flames had to be contained from a safe distance – along roads and clearings that had already been checked for mines.
The situation was complicated by the heat and strong winds, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. However, another threat was added to these natural factors – Russian FPV drones began attacking the people fighting the fire.
Due to the immediate danger to the lives of the firefighters, the firefighting operations had to be suspended.
The fire reached the pine tree canopies
Whilst the firefighters were unable to continue their work, the area affected by the fire increased to 27 hectares of pine forest.
Over an area of two hectares, the fire turned into a crown fire – one of the most dangerous types of forest fire, where the flames spread not only through the forest floor but also through the tree crowns.
Eventually, the fire was brought under control through the joint efforts of the forest rangers and State Emergency Service rescue teams. Staff from the Bashtanka Forest District in the Mykolaiv region were also called in to help extinguish the blaze.
"Forests of Ukraine" emphasise that this is not the first instance in which Russian troops have not only caused fires in the forests but also posed an additional danger to those attempting to stop the blaze.
Most of the fires were caused by Russian aggression
Since the start of 2026, the "Southern Forest Office" branch of the state-owned enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" has recorded 29 forest fires.
Of these, 23 – that is, almost 80 per cent – were caused by Russia’s military aggression. The majority of these fires were recorded in the Kherson region.
